With his head in the sand
by Dubhe666
Summary: Dean started to notice something was wrong when suddenly people they saved invited them for dinner and offered them a place to sleep. Not long after that, everything went to hell. Or not really. It all happened really peacefully. And Sam and Dean discovered that maybe there was a greater monster to hunt than ghosts and demons. AU


A/N: This story diverges Supernatural canon at the beginning of season 1. There are no spoilers in any way and you can read this without being familiar with the show. For The Host it stays mostly true to canon. You don't have to be familiar with the story, but it does make several things a lot clearer. I took some conversations from the book, unfortunately I don't have the book in English so I had to translate it back to English. If you see that I made a mistake, you can pm me about it.

Please let me know what you think in a review, either positive or negative. Flames will be laughed at.

And last but not least: I don't own Supernatural or The Host. Unfortunately. Or there would have been a sequel to the book a long time ago and that monster of a movie would never have been made.

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Dean started to notice something was wrong when suddenly people they saved invited them for dinner and offered them a place to sleep. Sam said they were just being nice. Guess they were, really. Nice. Neither of them noticed the eyes.

It had been only a couple of months since Dean had picked up Sam from Stanford to go looking for their dad. The brothers had been hunting together again, just like old times. Just without Dad.

"_I'm telling you, it's not normal!"_

"_What, people actually being nice? It happens, Dean."_

"_Not to us."_

Those conversations happened a lot those last couple of weeks.

Not long after that, February 2006, everything went to hell. Or not really. It all happened really peacefully. And Sam and Dean discovered that maybe there was a greater monster to hunt than ghosts and demons.

"_We've gotta find Dad. We don't know what's going on, Sam. We've gotta find him."_

They never did find him. They never knew if he went into hiding, got taken or died. Because that were the only options anymore.

"_We have to fight back! We can't just stick our heads in the sand and let our world get taken over by those things!"_

"_We can't win this, Dean. Not just the two of us."_

"_I'd rather die than hide."_

"_Well, I'd rather live."_

They fought back. They attacked the ones called Seekers. The ones seeking out what remained of the human race, the resistance.

The aliens had conquered ninety percent of the planet by then.

"_Dean."_

"_Yeah."_

"_In case… in case they take me. You kill me."_

"_No."_

"_Dean…"_

"_No, Sam. I'd rather die than kill you. Even if you become one of them."_

They got Sam in the summer of '07. Dean didn't kill him.

The Souls did. Sam didn't disappear, but the Soul inside him almost did. After he attacked a Healer, they removed the Soul and placed him in a child. The Soul kept the name Sam. Sam's body was destroyed. Now Sam Winchester was just a number in the Souls records. One of the twenty percent that failed.

Dean was alone for years after that. He went into hiding. Stuck his head in the sand. He made himself invisible.

He abandoned his car, too noticeable. She was the last that remained of his family. He stared at her for a long time. He patted her hood as he said goodbye and left with only a duffel slung across his shoulder.

He switched cars constantly. The Souls never noticed.

He raided houses when the occupants left. Took all the food that lasted long. Sometimes he took the time to put the tv on, nostalgia taking over. But there was nothing good on tv. No action, no good comedy with black humor. All his favourite movies wiped from existence. At least he still had his music.

It was on one of those raids, about two years after Sam was gone, that he met _her_. He catches her raiding a house. He can't help it, he kisses her.

"_Who are you?"_

He doesn't tell her his real name. Dean Winchester died two years ago. He's someone else now.

"_My name is Jared Howe. I haven't talked to another person in more than two years and I might seem… A little crazy. Please, forgive me and tell me your name."_

"_Melanie."_

"_Melanie."_ He tastes her name.

She was still so young. Barely sixteen. He was more than 10 years older than her. But it didn't really matter. He wasn't alone anymore.

And then he met Jamie. Her little brother. And _God_, it was like seeing Sam again. The kid was so young, not even 10 years old. Dark longer hair and eyes so kind.

They hid for the next five years. But they were together, the last man and woman on the planet.

Dean Winchester died when he lost his brother. Now Jared Howe was born.

He finally had people to look out for again. His life had a purpose again. Because what was he without the monsters in the dark? The monsters in the daylight made him no one. A waste of resources. He wasn't a waste anymore. He was someone now.

And then he lost her.

"_Are you safe?" _

"_Heaven nor Hell can keep me away from you, Melanie."_

Apparently _They_ could.

"_Jared."_

"_Yeah."_

"_If I'm not fast enough, if they get me. Kill me."_

"_No, Mel. I'd rather die than kill you. Even if you become one of them."_

Dean didn't kill her.

He took Jamie and left. He couldn't stick his head in the sand, he had a kid to watch out for.

He got them both safely to the caves. He was a little proud of himself for figuring it out. He quickly squashed that pride, because… he lost her.

They made it just in time, they had run out of water. As soon as Jeb found them, Dean got a bottle of water in his hand and a gun to his head.

"_Uncle Jeb!"_

"_Jamie? Is that you, boy?"_

The gun left his head. A hand grabbed his chin and turned his face to the light, checking for silver in his eyes.

Crazy Jeb let out a laugh and let go of Dean.

"_Come on in, boys."_

The cave system was brilliant. There was a kitchen, a bathroom, bedrooms. There even was a goddamn garden.

He recognizes the hair, like _she_ did on the tv.

"_Sharon?"_

"_Do I know you?"_

"_She left because of you. She went looking for you!"_

He really doesn't like the young woman. The feeling is mutual.

It's not long before Dean is part of the group and he goes out on raids for medicine and food. Jamie, the sweet teenager that he is, is immediately loved by everyone. The boy is safe now. His job was done and Dean was back to being nothing.

It took her months to find her way back to them. But she did it. Or did She do it? The other one, inside _her_. He hit her when she stumbled towards him, unable to look at her with that silver in her eyes. Knowing that _she_ was gone and all that remained was some monster looking like her. Some monster with _her_ memories. He would never hit Melanie, but he had never had a problem hitting a monster. Whatever form they took.

Perhaps Jared Howe had died when he lost _her_. And Dean Winchester wasn't as gone as he thought. Because Dean Winchester hunts monsters. And he'd hunt Them all down.

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A/N: This story wasn't beta'd, so if you spot any mistakes, let me know!

This is my second fanfic that I post online, my first SPN one. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!

And lastly, I know I switch tenses from past to present a couple of times. This is no mistake, it was intentional!

Hope you enjoyed it! :D


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